Last month we discussed how online social networking is playing an ever-increasing role in the world of business.
Browser-based services such as Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and more provide interactive communications between businesses and consumers in real time, and they support the legacy concepts of relationship marketing and word-of-mouth recommendations.
It’s all good, but you do need one key component to make it work. That is…a good website. By a good website I mean something more than a Web presence. Many websites today amount to little more than an electronic billboard. Hey, what good is a billboard if nobody drives by?
So let’s look at some of things that make a good website. Have you heard the term Web 2.0 (Web-two-dot-oh)? For this discussion we will define Web 2.0 as a platform that allows users to interact in some way with a website. The most common example would be using an eCommerce application to buy something online. Interactive forums where readers post comments about a story or subject are another example of Web 2.0.
For businesses, Web 2.0 can directly generate revenue through eCommerce, or it can generate business leads through communications that develop a relationship. I particularly like the concept of writing a Blog (Web Log) that provides useful information about a product or service. Readers can then add their thoughts about the matter, including criticisms, sharing their third-party views with other readers. The result is a connection that can develop into a business relationship.
Web 2.0 also supports “viral” communications. Viral communications are “spread” by people to other people in the interest of sharing information. Viral videos are a good example. Someone sees a video they like and they send the link to a friend, or post it on their social medium of choice (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). The video is seen over and over again by many different audiences. The result is interest, which could turn into lead generation.
In business, viral communications must be interesting or informative to work. The message is not about a specific
product or company. It’s about the applications of a product, service, or industry, and how those applications benefit audiences in general.
I’m currently working on a viral campaign for a packaging company. Our message is not about how good the company is and what kinds of packaging it offers. The message is about how packaging is changing from cardboard and clamshells to recyclable materials and environmentally safe production techniques with less waste. Good packaging means good citizenry and it can sell your products, and ours!
Interactive communications, and viral videos are just two of the elements that define a good website today. Design, content, navigation, and “searchability” also play key roles in the return on investment (ROI) of a good website.
I’ll write more about Web elements in the future. For now let me part with these thoughts. Creating a good website is not easy. There are a lot of choices to make and alternatives to consider. And, you get what you pay for. Best of luck, and I’ll see you online.
Herb Torrens is the principal of Herb Torrens Media Communications providing
small- to medium-size businesses with Web and multimedia services. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Profile available at Linkedin.com, or “follow” him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .